Volkswagen TDI

VW TDI’s are the cars that put the diesel’s “smokey, smelly, sluggish” reputation to rest. Volkswagen TDI’s are the ultimate economy car, with many averaging 40 to 50 mpg. If you want to keep the economy but add some zip to your TDI, we can help you choose the right upgrades for your car. Options include adding a cold air intake kit, a TDI performance chip or power module, injectors or nozzles, upgrading the exhaust or turbo, or making one of many other TDI performance parts your own. Parleys Diesel Performance offers the TDI Performance mods you need to get even better diesel fuel mileage, and to awaken the power of the sleeping beast in your TDI engine. We offer TDI upgrades from some of the best brands in the business. To see parts specifically for your VW TDI, choose your year and engine displacement.

Not sure what kind of TDI performance parts you need? Here at Parley’s Diesel Performance we want you to be as educated as possible about all your options before you make any changes to your stock TDI. Even if you have already made some changes we want you to know what the next best step is to increase your TDI performance. We have done extensive research and stock only the best parts in the TDI performance market to ensure that you will get the power and increases in fuel economy that you’re looking for. There are a number of TDI performance modifications that you can make to your TDI, with each TDI performance modification serving a different purpose. Let’s break down the main categories for you so you can decide which TDI performance mods will be most beneficial for your particular situation.

TDI Performance Chips or Modules – Although there are many different manufacturers to choose from when it comes to TDI performance tuning modules, we recommend only a few high-quality brands like Diesel Power and Bully Dog. VW TDI power mdules are quite popular for a number of reasons, the biggest one of all being the simplicity of installation. Most TDI performance tuners work the same but they increase TDI performance by doing anything from a simple passive electrical circuit to more complex microprocessor controlled devices. The TDI power modules we sell intercept the signals that go between your ECU and the engine, altering the values as they are transmitted. TDI performance tuning boxes, regardless of exactly how they work, increase your horsepower by safely increasing the amount of fuel delivered at full load; many of them also make changes to the injection timing and duration.

Your fuel injector is the part of your engine that actually injects the diesel fuel into the engine. The tip of the injector is called a nozzle. The nozzle sprays a mist of diesel fuel into the cylinder at which point the fuel combusts. So how will upgrading your VW TDI injectors or injector nozzles increase your TDI performance? Since your injector controls the amount of fuel going into the cylinder, if you upgrade to what are known as “high flow” TDI performance injectors you will then be pouring more fuel into the cylinder, and more fuel properly burned equals more power. How much power? The answer, of course, depends on the size of the openings in the nozzles as well as the amount of air available, but the most popular TDI injector nozzles will add anywhere from 20 to 30 horsepower and a 15% to 20% increase in torque. For truly effective increases in diesel power, you’ll want to add more air along with the fuel. You’ll be fine upgrading to the .205 size injector nozzles with your stock turbo, for example; however, if you wanted the larger 30 horsepower .216 injector nozzles, you would need to upgrade your turbo as well. If you don’t, your TDI will just pour the unburned fuel out the tailpipe as black smoke. TDI performance injector nozzles are a very popular upgrade for 1997-2003 1.9L VW TDI’s.

TDI Performance Intakes – Delving further into TDI performance and the mechanics of diesel engines in general, diesel engines work by combustion. In order for combustion to take place in a diesel engine, air is forced into the cylinder and it is actually the heat of the air that ignites the diesel fuel. So how do “performance intakes” or “cold air intakes” add more power to your TDI? They give you more cold air, and cold air takes up less space than hot air. The more cold air you can get into the cylinder the better because that makes for a more efficient combustion event, translating to more power to the pavement, and the greater the overall increase in TDI performance.

Why make changes to your TDI exhaust system? The main goal with upgrading your exhaust is the reduction of back pressure. This allows the engine to flow more air and improve turbo response, both of which enhance your TDI performance and extend your engine life due to less heat. Although there are some full TDI performance exhaust systems, a full TDI performance exhaust system isn’t always the best way to get the most bang for your buck. To increase TDI performance and air flow what we frequently recommend is installing an Aero Exhaust Turbine Muffler. The Aero Turbine’s design allows it to create something similar in concept to a Venturi type effect. The Aero muffler even flows better than a straight-piped exhaust, in effect sucking the exhaust away from the engine. The benefits include increased horsepower, extended engine life and improved fuel mileage. Just make sure that the Aero Muffler you order will fit your particular TDI Exhaust system, and understand that sometimes some extra fabrication is necessary. Take the measurements of the Aero Muffler you’re looking at to your local muffler shop before buying to make sure they can install it for you.